Parkrose Hero Keanon Lowe Receives Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Citizen Honor

The high school football coach has been awarded the country's highest civilian honor after disarming a student who brought a gun to Parkrose High School.

Keanon Lowe, the former Oregon wide receiver who disarmed a student that brought a gun to Parkrose High School in Portland, has been awarded the Citizen Honor Award by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Lowe is one of six recipients of the honor for 2020, which is given to those who "exemplify the values embodied in the Medal of Honor: courage, sacrifice, commitment, integrity, citizenship, and patriotism." The recipients will be honored at a later date.

In May 2019, Lowe was working as a football coach and security guard when he approached a student who arrived with a shotgun. Lowe disarmed him and hugged him. The coach helped prevent a possible tragedy and no one ended up being hurt. The encounter was detailed in a story by Greg Bishop in the Aug. 26-Sep. 2, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated.

Lowe is currently the head football coach at West Linn High School.